


Dancing Eyes

by secret_stories



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Post-Snow Ball (Stranger Things), Protective Parent Jim "Chief" Hopper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 14:11:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13572216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secret_stories/pseuds/secret_stories
Summary: After the Snowball, El needs to get out of the cabin, needs to see Mike. Reluctantly, Hopper plans a way to get her to him safely and with Joyce's help, gives her a day of freedom.





	Dancing Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Just a silly little one shot about how paranoid Hopper would get El to Mike's while she was still supposed to be hiding.

It hadn’t been easy, convincing Hopper to let her out after that one golden night. That glittering night of soft touches, smiling eyes and laughter. Mike had kept his promise after all and despite the stress it had caused them all, the Snow Ball had been worth it. After Hopper had whisked her away again, back to the isolation of the cabin, the crackling fire and the jarring feeling of comfort, home and loneliness, El had finally gone to sleep with a smile on her face, Mike’s dark eyes dancing behind hers.

That had been two weeks ago, two agonising weeks of back and forth between El and Hopper, Mike and Hopper, Joyce and Hopper. Everyone desperate to find a solution. It didn’t matter that El now had that glorious piece of paper, such a simple thing declaring her one of the living, a real person with a real name, deserving of a life. They all knew it could go away in a moment, just as it had before. This time though, this time, she couldn’t stay in the cabin, couldn’t stay in the dark, not after everything and this time, despite everything, Hopper couldn’t keep her in either, didn’t want to. That didn’t mean he lost all sense of risk though, he was keeping his spitfire of a daughter, would fight tooth and nail to keep her safe even if it meant smashed windows, flying eggos and screaming matches. It was different now though, El understood more clearly than ever what she had to lose, as well as how powerful she was, something everyone involved was starkly aware of.

Eventually, it was decided. Finally, after two long weeks back in front of the TV, a  voyeur to the world, she walked back out into it. It was a cold day and El’s breath fogged out of her smiling face as she looked up to the sky, hands clenched in the pockets of a coat donated by Nancy. El had lots more clothes now. Hopper had drilled the plan into her so many times in the preceding day, she could say it backwards and as she tucked in the backseat of the car and Hopper carefully arranged too many blankets over her, El breathed in the smell of smoke and found herself going over his firm words again. ‘We stick to the plan Ellie, no deviations. We stick to the plan. You get to see Mike and I get to keep you safe. Ok?’ He had been so deadly serious, dark eyes boring into hers, leaning forward, elbows on knees as they had sat in the warmth of their living area. ‘Ok. I understand. We are not stupid. Stick to the plan.’ Despite his seriousness, she hadn’t been able to keep back the smile, the excitement and even now, as Hopper slammed the car door and she felt the rumbling of the engine beneath her, it felt as though it was burning inside her chest. She was going to see Mike. For real. Finally.

Hopper took the scenic route, determined not to leave any clues, paranoid eyes always checking the mirror before finally, still second guessing himself, pulling slowly into the Byers’ house. Taking a deep breath, Hopper looked up to the house to see the door opening, Joyce had been waiting for him, knew the plan as well as he did. At this thought, a slight smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. Thank god for that woman. Even after everything, she still cared about keeping this girl happy and had help concoct this whole elaborate plan.

Hopper nodded at Joyce who stood smiling gently in the doorway, cigarette in hand, over large cardigan wrapped around her against the cold. He moved out into the biting air himself before heading to the back of the car, opening the door and carefully lifting out the pile of blankets in the back, silently cursing himself for agreeing to this, surely it would be obvious what he was carrying, a point he had argued repeatedly. But, he had to admit, small as El was, and wrapped up in so many blankets, it did look almost as if she wasn’t there at all, a thought he didn’t relish, gently squeezing where he knew her arm would be to reassure himself as her bumped the back door closed with his hip. His boots crunched on the overgrown drive as he manoeuvred himself into the small house, Joyce gently turning to the side to let them in before softly closing the door with a click.

El was hot. Despite the frigid weather, all those mountains of blankets and the levels of excitement that had her fingers vibrating in anticipation had her feeling too warm. The drive took far longer than she knew it should have done and her frustration at Hopper’s presumably ridiculously long winded route all around Hawkins was only mellowed by her happiness that this was happening at all. Mike’s eyes ran through her mind, the feel of his fingers on her hips, warmth seeping through the thin dress Nancy had sent over to her, his clean fresh smell, the feel of his breath on her lips. El squeezed her eyes shut. Soon, she would see him soon. When the car stopped, wheels crunching to a halt, her eyes flashed open. They were here. It was easy to lie still, easy to pretend to be a pile of old nothing, easy to keep her breathing steady, until the moment Hopper’s boots stopped crunching and El smelled Joyce’s cigarette and light perfume, heard her quiet ‘Morning Hop, come on in’ and his rumbled response vibrating through her. Suddenly it was all she could do to stay still, breathing coming in short spurts, so when Hopper finally set her down on the old couch, El found herself bursting from the old blankets so suddenly that it caused both Joyce and Hopper to step back.

 El stood breathing deeply, the cold air having rushed into her warm cocoon, a flush riding up her cheeks. She took in the vaguely familiar living room, Joyce’s welcoming crinkled smile and Hopper’s all too standard frown. El smiled at them, one hand raising in an awkward wave, were all her teeth visible? Her smile felt enormous. ‘Hi,’ El breathed out. Joyce blew out a laugh that sounded a little too much like a sob before moving forward and embracing the girl. El threw herself into the hug, it had been too long since she had seen this woman, the woman who had held her and whispered with soft words, giving her strength, pulling her back to the light, the woman who so often played the role of mother in her dreams.

Joyce pulled back and held her face in her hands, tears in the corners of her eyes, ‘Look at you, you look so beautiful.’ El smiled back at her, tears glistening in her own eyes, not quite ready to talk yet. Joyce only smiled more firmly, moving her hands down to El’s growing hair and smoothing it slightly. ‘Are you ready?’ El nodded firmly and as Joyce moved her hands down to grasp one of hers, El went with her gladly towards the bedroom, only casting a brief glance back at Hopper who was still stood in the same spot, arms still folded, furrow still creasing his brow, the light picking up the glitter of faint tears in his eyes.

Joyce’s room was simple and homely, El remembered it from the night of the gate. That night that seemed to last forever. Waking up to the pale dawn, draped in crocheted blankets, Mike’s hand inches from hers, his eyelashes thick against pale cheeks. El smiled at the bittersweet memory. They had said goodbye not long after that.

Joyce had already laid out the clothes on the bed and gestured to them with a sad smile ‘I think they should fit you just fine’, her fingers lightly brushed over the fabric of the faded polo shirt, looking lost in memory for a moment before glancing back up at her visitor. El moved forward and picked up the shirt, wrinkling her nose slightly. Joyce laughed lightly, ‘I know, it’s not exactly beautiful, but it’ll keep you safe.’ El nodded and smiled, thinking that it would be worth wearing a potato sack if it got her to Mike. Her Mike.

The winter sun drifted in through the blinds, picking out the dust motes in the air, and El realised that Joyce was staring at her so she turned, letting the fabric slip through her fingers and met the warm gaze. ‘El, I just need you to know, how important you are to all of us. To me.’ The older woman sniffed, laughing slightly at her own emotion as she shook her head. El quickly brought her hand up, grasping Joyce’s, squeezing firmly, finding her eyes. ‘Joyce, you are important. To me.’ Joyce returned the squeeze, pulling El back into another hug, the homely smoky smell filling the girl’s nose. ‘Thankyou, El, thank you for everything. I am always here, and soon, we won’t have to go to these crazy lengths to keep you safe.’ Joyce pulled back, holding El by her upper arms and taking the girl in. The tears had escaped now, making tracks down her smiling cheeks and El found her own feeling wet. ‘Thank you, Joyce’ El met her watery smile with her own, the dust motes dancing around them in  the winter light.

Hopper waited in the lounge, chain smoking, he really needed to cut down, but goddammit this made him tense. Not long later, his foot tapping a hole in the floor, they emerged once again, El almost unrecognisable in her new clothes. Hopper put out the latest cigarette without looking at it and stood, huffing out a laugh. ‘Well?’ El asked him, ‘Do I look like Will?’ The cap obscured her face, long hair pulled up inside, scarf and body warmer hiding the back. The jeans were just on the edge of being too short, by the high tops covered her ankles. At a glance, she definitely didn’t look like El, or a girl at all. It would do. Hopper nodded, reluctantly. Behind her, Joyce clapped her hands, ‘well come on then, lets get going!’

The air outside was biting, but Will’s clothes were warm, and her excitement kept her burning inside. Not long now. Nearly there. Hopper took El’s shoulders once more as they headed towards Joyce’s car, staring her down, ‘you stay at the Wheeler’s ok? No being stupid.’ El couldn’t stop the smile beaming out of her, cheeks almost hurting as she responded to his furrowed brow, nodding ‘no being stupid.’

Joyce’s car was a little messy, a little creaky, a little old. Taking her to Mike, it was perfect. Hopper’s tall figure stared at them from the drive, his unmoving figure slowly disappearing in the rear view mirror, but El only had eyes for the road ahead.

Joyce didn’t take a scenic road, there was no need. She was just driving her son to his friend’s house. Nothing unusual about that. The girl next to her was quiet, watching the trees flash by outside, head moving slightly to watch their path. ‘Are you ok sweetie?’ El turned to look at her, smile still in place ‘yes, I am happy.’ Joyce nodded, eyes on the road, she knew how close El and Mike were, knew how much they had gone through together, been there for some of it. Too much. Joyce didn’t necessarily agree with how Hopper had gone about things over the last year, keeping El away from everyone, keeping it all a secret, keeping those two apart, but she understood, more than anyone, the need to keep someone safe. They deserved this now, this time together.

In no time at all, they were outside the Wheeler’s house. Her first home. Her first taste of freedom and a normal life, of friendship. Joyce leaned over and squeezed her hand, it felt a little shaky. ‘I will pick you up later, have fun sweetie.’ El turned away from her view of the house, squeezing Joyce’s hand in return and taking a breath. This was it. Mike was inside. So close. El nodded, opened the car door, walked boldly up the garden path and raised a hand to knock.

Joyce watched from the car, hand firmly gripping the steering wheel, breath fogging in front of her. El never had a chance to knock, and Joyce watched as the large door swung open, revealing a brief glimpse of Mike’s wide smile and sparkling eyes before El disappeared inside and into his arms, the door swinging shut behind them.

 


End file.
